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Supported File Formats

COMSOL®

The COMSOL Model filetype, with the extension .mph, is the default file type containing the entire Model Tree. The file contains both binary and text data.The mesh and solution data are stored as binary data while all other information is stored as plain text.

The COMSOL binary and text file types, with the extension .mphbin and .mphtxt respectively, contain either geometry objects or mesh objects which can be imported directly to the Geometry or Mesh branches in the Model Tree.

The Physics Builder file type with the extension .mphphb, contains one or more physics user interfaces that you can access from the Model Wizard.

File Format

Extension

Read

Write

COMSOL Model

.mph

Yes

Yes

Application Builder

.mphapp

Yes

Yes

Binary Data

.mphbin

Yes

Yes

Text Data

.mphtxt

Yes

Yes

Physics Builder

.mphphb

Yes

Yes

CAD, GIS

The CAD Import Module allows for import of a range of industry-standard CAD file types. Additional file types are available through the bidirectional functionality of the LiveLink products for CAD as well as with the File Import for CATIA® V5 add-on.

The DXF (2D), VRML (3D), and STL (3D) file types are available for import with COMSOL Multiphysics® and don’t require any add-on products.

File Format

Extension

Version

Import

Export

AutoCAD® DXF(2D)

.dxf

up to R14

Yes

Yes

DEM

.dem

-

Yes

No

STL1

.stl

-

Yes

Yes

VRML1

.vrml, .wrl

v1

Yes

No

1Limited functionality for a single geometric domain only

File Format

Extension

Version

Import

Export

ACIS®

.sat, .sab, .asat, .asab

up to R25

Yes

Yes

AutoCAD®

.dwg

2.5-2014

Yes

No

AutoCAD® DXF

.dxf

2.5-2014

Yes

No

IGES

.igs, .iges

up to 5.3

Yes

No

Inventor® assemblies

.iam

11, 2008-2015

Yes

No

Inventor® parts

.ipt

6-11, 2008-2015

Yes

No

NX®

.prt

up to 9

Yes

No

Parasolid®

.x_t, .xmt_txt, .x_b, .xmt_bin

up to V26

Yes

Yes

PTC® Creo® Parametric™

.prt, .asm

1.0, 2.0

Yes

No

PTC® Pro/ENGINEER®

.prt, .asm

16 to Wildifire 5.0

Yes

No

SOLIDWORKS®

.sldprt, .sldasm

98-2014

Yes

No

STEP

.step

AP203, AP214

Yes

No

ECAD

The ECAD Import Module allows for import of 2D layout files with automatic conversion to 3D CAD models. The Touchstone file type is used for exporting S-parameters, impedance, and admittance values from simultaneous port and frequency sweeps. The SPICE Circuit Netlist file type is converted at import to a series of lumped circuit element nodes under an Electrical Circuit node.

File Format

Extension

Read

Write

NETEX-G1

.asc

Yes

No

ODB++1

.zip, .tar, .tgz, .gz, .Z

Yes

No

ODB++(X)1

.xml

Yes

No

GDS II1

.gds

Yes

No

Touchstone

.s2p, .s3p, .s4p, ...

No

Yes

SPICE Circuit Netlist2

.cir

Yes

No

1Requires the ECAD Import Module2Requires one of the AC/DC, RF, MEMS, or Plasma Modules

Numerical Data, Images, and Movies

Results visualization can be exported to a number of common image file types, see the table below. Images can also be read and used as interpolation functions for physics modeling. Animations can be exported to one of the Animated GIF, Adobe® Flash®, and AVI file types.

File Format

Extension

Read

Write

JPEG

.jpg, .jpeg

Yes

Yes

PNG

.png

Yes

Yes

BMP

.bmp

Yes

Yes

.tif, .tiff

.tif, .tiff

No

Yes

GIF

.gif

Yes

Yes

EPS (1D graphs)

.eps

No

Yes

Animated GIF

.gif

No

Yes

Adobe® Flash®

.swf

No

Yes

AVI1

.avi

No

Yes

1Available for Windows only

Interpolation Data Formats

The Grid, Sectionwise, and Spreadsheet file types can be read for defining Interpolation functions. The Sectionwise and Spreadsheet file types can furthermore be read and used for defining Interpolation curves and written for exporting Results. In addition, Tables can be copy-pasted on spreadsheet format.

Parameters and Variables can be imported and exported to the Plain text, Comma-separated values, or Data file types.

The Continuous and Discrete color table text file types are used for user-defined color tables for Results visualization.

Digital Elevation Model (DEM) files can be read and used as a Parametric Surface for defining a Geometry.

File Format

Extension

Read

Write

Copy and paste spreadsheet format

n/a

Yes

Yes

Table

.txt, .csv, .dat

Yes

Yes

Grid

.txt

Yes

Yes

Sectionwise

.txt, .csv, .dat

Yes

Yes

Spreadsheet

.txt, .csv, .dat

Yes

Yes

Parameters

.txt, .csv, .dat

Yes

Yes

Variables

.txt, .csv, .dat

Yes

Yes

Continuous and Discrete color table

.txt

Yes

No

DEM

.dem

Yes

No

Mesh

The NASTRAN® Bulk Data file types are used to import a volumetric mesh. The VRML and STL file types are used to import a triangular surface mesh, and cannot be used for creating a volumetric mesh. If imported as a Geometry, then VRML and STL files can be used as a basis for creating a volumetric mesh for a single geometric domain.

File Format

Extension

Read

Write

NASTRAN® Bulk Data

.nas, .bdf, .nastran, .dat

Yes

Yes

VRML, v1

.vrml, .wrl

Yes

No

STL

.stl

Yes

Yes

Programming Languages

Model Java® files are editable script files, with the extension .java, that contain sequences of COMSOL Multiphysics commands as Java® code. Edit the files in a text editor to add additional commands. You can compile these Java® files into Java® Class files, with the extension .class, and run them as separate applications.

Model M-files are editable script files, similar to the Model Java® files, for use with MATLAB®. Model M-files, which have the extension .m, contain a sequence of COMSOL Multiphysics commands as a MATLAB® M-file. Run the Model M-files in MATLAB® like any other M-file scripts. Also edit the files in a text editor to include additional COMSOL Multiphysics commands or general MATLAB® commands. Running files in the Model M-file format requires the LiveLink™for MATLAB®.

File Format

Extension

Read

Write

MATLAB®: Model M-File

.m

No

Yes

Java®: Model Java® File

.java

No

Yes

Java®: Model Class File

.class

Yes

No

C: Function

.dll1, .so2, .dylib3

Yes

No

1Available for Windows® only 2Available for Linux® only 3Available for Mac OS X only